The stock market has made aggressive moves in recent weeks, and so it's not surprising to see some market participants seemingly taking a short pause from the volatility. Investors are still weighing the benefits of positive trial results from various coronavirus vaccine candidates against the fact that COVID-19 case counts continue to reach unprecedented levels.
As of 11 a.m. EST, major stock market benchmarks were all slightly higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) led the way with a 117-point gain to 29,900. The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) rose 7 points to 3,616, but the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) was having the hardest time, picking up just a single point to 11,900.
Even with the pause in major market action, some companies had a lot to say about what they've been going through in recent months. Target (NYSE: TGT) gave shareholders a positive earnings report, but Lowe's (NYSE: LOW) wasn't as fortunate despite similarly strong results.
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Target, Lowe's Earnings Dominate Quiet Stock Markets Wednesday